Last phase of Milford Road/Route 2001 widening delayed

Friday

Jun 28, 2013 at 3:56 PMJun 29, 2013 at 8:03 AM

Lehman Township Board of Supervisors Chairman John Sivick said in the bi-monthly Board of Supervisors meeting on June 19 that he expected Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will let for contract bids later this month for the third phase of the widening of Milford Road/State Route 2001 in Lehman a mile into Delaware Township near the Rockledge Road intersection.

Lehman Township Board of Supervisors Chairman John Sivick said in the bi-monthly Board of Supervisors meeting on June 19 that he expected Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will let for contract bids later this month for the third phase of the widening of Milford Road/State Route 2001 in Lehman a mile into Delaware Township near the Rockledge Road intersection.

Sivick said at the board meeting that the utility companies have been in communication and moving forward with setting utility lines back for the $24.5 million work that would begin at Little Egypt and go a mile just beyond the Delaware Township line.

But PennDOT's District Utility Administrators met with the utility companies on Tuesday and then moved the let date for contract bids to Aug. 15.

"It's due to some delays surrounding utilities. Once the project is bid, the Notice to Proceed will be about six weeks after that date (toward the end of September/beginning of October). Then, the anticipated completion date is fall 2016," PennDOT spokesman James May said on Tuesday.

"Hogwash," said Sivick later that day. "Representatives from PennDOT told us at a meeting in early June that it would be a let date this month. It's very disappointing.

"We were at a Pike County Road Task Force meeting, and they were not even going to bring it up about

2001 and we asked and got funny looks from them on that. They know about this (coordinating with the utility companies) since the completion of the last section. The meeting we had a few months ago with everyone involved emphasized ways of getting the utilities involved and on board with the National Park Service. People are not doing their jobs."

This phase of the project will involve more straightening of curved roadways, particularly around the Newman Smith American Legion building and another area of sharp curving about 3 miles north of that.

The second phase of the project from the Bushkill Falls Road intersection at Route 209 to Milford Road ending at Little Egypt Road was completed last fall. Phase I from Milford to Route 739 was done earlier.

Upgrade township building

Sivick also said at the board meeting that the township is looking to replace its roof and air conditioning system. "We're looking at two potential firms," he said. "It's 25 years old from when this building was built; it's time to replace it."

Sivick also pointed out that the National Park Service's 10-year arrangement is coming to an end with a booth charging truckers to travel along Route 209 from Lehman Township to Milford.

"For the past few months, there's been quite a bit of conversation taking place with the park and the three townships — Lehman, Dingman and Delaware and how it'll affect their residents," Sivick said. The Board of Supervisors agreed to send a letter to Pike County Commissioner Matt Osterberg, requesting a meeting with the three townships and county commissioners to discuss the issue.

The supervisors also agreed to approve a request for Tamiment Golf Course and Lakefront to hold a Mudderella event Sept. 21-22 of a challenging race through muddy conditions. Sivick said he was told participants could number into the thousands for it.

The township also reluctantly accepted a verbal resignation of Bernie Foster from the township Planning Commission.

"He's been zoning board chairman and has served the township for 25 to 30 years. We're going to miss him," Sivick said as Supervisor Paul Menditto made a motion to "regretfully accept" the resignation.

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